Tribune Garden

September

A HOST OF GOLDEN DAFFODILS

Garden centres, nurseries and catalogues are full of daffodil bulbs now. I have to exercise supreme self-restraint every time I wander in!

Rachael Leverton

I think I get asked more questions about daffodils than any other plant, apart from roses. I think it’s because they are ubiquitous in the spring and so we assume they are easy to grow. They are...and they aren’t, so I’ll answer the most common questions I get asked here.

I think the question I get most is ’How do I get my daffodils to flower more than one year?’ It’s a good question. It’s tempting to think that the only thing you have to remember about planting daffodil bulbs is to set them pointy side up, but it’s a bit more complicated than that if you want them to flower every year. The trick is to set them deep enough. If you plant them just below the surface, as so many of people do, they dry out, which means they lack the food and moisture to get them through until the following year. The result is an uninteresting clump of leaves rather than a host of golden daffodils.

You can plant daffodils any time now, to the end of October. Sooner is better.

The next question I get asked a lot is, ‘What’s the difference between daffodils and narcissi?’

This is also a good question. All daffodils are narcissi, but not all narcissi are daffodils! ‘Daffodils’ is the name we give to narcissi with large trumpets. The third question I’m often asked is, ‘How far apart should I plant the bubs? They should be planted about 3 inches / 8cm apart in holes about 10 inches / 25cm deep. It looks deep when you are dropping them in but it’s worth the effort for the repeat flowering. Choose the biggest firmest bulbs you can find for each variety. The final question I get asked is, ‘When can I cut down the foliage after flowering?’ I would suggest waiting for 6 weeks. If you have a very small garden and can’t bear to have untidy foliage lying around you might be better treating the bulbs as annuals (daffodil bulbs aren’t generally expensive.). Or you can plant them in an aquatic basket, and after flowering you can dig the basket up, water the bulbs regularly then replant in the autumn.

Alternatively, you can buy dwarf varieties of daffodil which have daintier flowers and foliage, so you can have pretty flowers without the resulting foliage posing a problem. Whatever you decide, remember plant deeper than you think and…happy gardening!

October

LAWN LOVE

There are times I threaten to astro-turf my entire garden, but then I remember the smell of freshly mown grass and how lovely it is to walk through the dew with the dogs in the morning, and I relent. Rachael Leverton

Of all garden tasks I find lawn-care the most tedious. I am not a lawn enthusiast, preferring plants. For me lawns are a necessary evil. I like sitting on them, walking on them, and they make my flowers look good, in much the way a frame enhances a picture. So, I feel I do have to give my lawn at least a little love and care.

By October lawn growth has slowed so you can raise your mowing height by at least one setting until mid-spring next year. If like mine your lawn sprouts moss the moment it rains, raise the mowing height even more so that at least 1 to 2cm of grass shows above the moss after grass-cutting. Damp grass builds up inside the mower so give the mower a good brush, scrape or hose down after every use. This necessary housekeeping prolongs the life of your mower.

After the middle of October there is no point applying weed-killer, so if you haven’t been diligent in weed control the only option will be handpulling them. I am rarely diligent about weed-killing, so you are in good company here!

Moss becomes more evident as the weather cools but you’re too late for raking by now. Probably best to embrace the lush greenness: moss lawns are all the rage in Japan anyway. On the other hand, if the weather is still warm and the ground is dry, apply moss killers, rake it out, reseed and water. You’ll thank me next year. October is the best time for aerating the lawn. I used a fork for years until I bought a hollow-tine aerator three years ago, and now I’m a convert. You can’t overdo it, insert them every few inches until you’re fed-up. It’s a great work-out. The hollow tines pull out little cores that look like fat worms. Leave them in place to recycle the nutrients. Aerating improves drainage and allows air, nutrients and rain to move down to the roots rather than sitting at the surface. Normally by now there has been enough rain to allow the tines to penetrate the soil making the job easier but who knows what the crazy UK weather will be doing when this article is published. It’s best to fertilise the lawn after aerating if possible. This month is quite a good month for fertilising the lawn if you haven’t already got around to it. Not only does fertilisation give you a fantastic lawn ready for the winter but also offers some protection from the ravages of winter temperatures and diseases. Make sure you collect fallen leaves weekly to discourage moss and disease.

I know some gardeners like to discourage leatherjackets and worm-activity but frankly I like watching starlings poke around for leather-jackets, and I like worms, they are my little garden friends, so if the odd worm cast is the price I must pay for their help then I’m happy to put up with them. villagetribune 63